EL SEGUNDO, CA — After watching young left wing prospect Tanner Pearson make his National Hockey League debut on May 18 against the San Jose Sharks in a second round playoff game is quite the surprise. After all, it was not all that long ago that his future in hockey was rather murky, and that’s putting it mildly.

In fact, Pearson’s career in Canadian junior hockey did not have an auspicious start, as the vast majority of legitimate NHL prospects coming out of Canada go right to major junior hockey at 16 years of age. Although Pearson was selected by the Barrie Colts in the 2008 Ontario Hockey League Priority Draft, the fourth round (266th overall) selection saw the writing on the wall.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman prospect Nick Ebert is currently
playing for their ECHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.
(click above to view larger image)
Photo: David Sheehan

ONTARIO, CA — The Ontario Reign clinched the ECHL’s Pacific Division title back on March 9, and with their first round playoff opponent and schedule already set, young defenseman Nick Ebert, just up from the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (Canadian junior hockey league), is getting a chance to show the Reign, and more importantly, their parent club, the Los Angeles Kings, what he can do.

LOS ANGELES — Almost from the moment he was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the third round (80th overall) of the 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft, left wing Andy Andreoff made it clear that he was going to leave his mark, one way or the other.

Shortly after the 2011 draft, Andreoff left several marks during the Kings’ 2011 Development Camp for their young prospects with some chippy play that included dropping the gloves.

LOS ANGELES — For much of their very recent history, the Los Angeles Kings have had high, first round selections in the National Hockey League Entry Draft, picks they used to select players such as star defenseman Drew Doughty, who was the second overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Other top-15 draft picks who are making an impact with the Kings are winger Dustin Brown, center Anze Kopitar, and backup goaltender Jonathan Bernier.

But what happens when a team wins the Stanley Cup, as the Kings did last June? They get the “privilege” of selecting last (30th overall) in the first round, a pick that many downplay, referring to it as the equivalent of a high, second round pick. Read more of this post

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Left wings Dwight King and Jordan Nolan surprised everyone late last season by not only staying with the big club after they were recalled from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League in early February 2012, but also by playing a key role in the Los Angeles Kings making the playoffs, and winning the Stanley Cup just a little over two months ago.

With the two having “graduated” from the AHL, and with serious doubts that center Andrei Loktionov is capable of producing consistently at the National Hockey League level, primarily due to his lack of size and strength, one young player could very well be the Kings’ top forward prospect, even though he has not yet played at the professional level.

That player is none other than center/right wing Tyler Toffoli, who could be the forward prospect with greatest potential to make an impact at the NHL level for the Kings.

Last season, Toffoli, who was selected by the Kings in the second round (47th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, scored 52 goals and tallied 48 assists for 100 points, with a +31 plus/minus rating, and 22 penalty minutes in 65 regular season games with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League. Read more of this post

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